By the Fireside... October 14-20, 2007

[Diane Cutter]

Another week...

Today we say farewell to Vermont and drive down to Connecticut. We have to stop at the nearby covered bridge for a photo op. Somehow I'd omitted in all our riding around this last week.

My husband adores poker so we are making a pilgrimage to Foxwoods Casino Resort. He's humored me this entire trip taking me to the chilly but colorful NE and now it's my turn to humor him. From there we will slowly work our way back down to Florida for our October 24th flight home from Orlando.

Diane

[Trilby]

What a great trip you are enjoying. Yes turn about is fair play! Have a safe trip home and enjoy all your photo memories.

I finally feel a bit rested and human again but it has taken a week to get there. Who knew that being an artist meant such hard physical labor at times? Anyway had energy to brush the dog, play with her a bit and remind her that she is loved afterall then I took her for her favorite walk/swim on the river. We've not been that way for 3 or 4 weeks and boy were there some unexpected changes. A waterfall where there had been none. It's eroding the stream bed and rapidly cutting back on itself so it will be interesting how that effects the stream flow there. Downstream I found a large beaver pond that the furry fellows built in the last two weeks. They had had 3 dams but all were washed away during the summer monsoon rains/floods. This one is the sturdiest and largest they have built to date. It just may hold up through the summer. It's fairly deep as the dam is about 5 feet above the rest of the river flow. In the late 1800's the San Pedro was known as The Little Beaver River because of the thousands of beavers, however, trappers killed more than 10,000 in one or two years, even taking the babies and wiped them out. The BLM is reintroducing them now. I have mixed feelings. They were here first and are fun to watch, but they cut down hundreds upon hundreds of young cottonwoods that were intended to replace the ageing giants. Time will tell, I guess.
TJ

[snoball]

Sounds like you are having a wonderful trip Diane :wave: I know you are seeing some gorgeous fall colors up there. We are going to expect some great paintings coming from all the photos you are taking.:D Have fun and enjoy the rest of the trip!:thumbsup:

[Diane Cutter]

Well, we are further south now at McGuire AFB in New Jersey and the weather is quite pleasant. I've been doing some abstract watercolors while Brian is off golfing.

We had a great time at Foxwoods. I thought I'd spend the 3 days in the motel painting but instead went with my husband to the casino and played in two tournaments (busted out early ... no secret there) but... played clever enough in the cash games that we drove away with more money than we had upon arrival. Wow... was that lucky!!! :lol: and, no, you won't see me on the poker tour on TV... :lol: I've got some extra $$ to loan out through my favorite 'charity', KIVA.org...

Diane